(Photo: Somchai Poomlard)Large irrigation dams fail to prevent floods and droughts and ensure water security for local farmers as impacts of climate change intensify, data analysis on the performance of irrigation projects in the northeastern region show. But local farmers had to endure severe drought for three years between 2018 to 2020, as the dam's reservoir dried. The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) imposes water restrictions when the dam's water level falls below 30%. The one-two punch of Ubolratana Dam's water restriction measures and rainfall deficiency in 2019-2020 led to a sharp drop in dry season rice production. Old dams fail to do the jobAsst Prof Sitang Pilailar, a leading water management expert at the Department of Water Resources Engineering, Kasetsart University, said large-scale irrigation dams often fail to mitigate flood and drought.

Source: Bangkok Post September 25, 2021 23:15 UTC